Christmas is that time year that allows us to express joy in so many ways--joy in sharing the holiday with friends and family, joy in giving and receiving gifts, joy in seeing our homes dressed with festive decorations, and joy in feasting on foods that bring us pleasure without guilt. The menu we've planned for this joyous occasion is from the plant kingdom, elegant and hearty vegan fare for a regal holiday table.

We begin by raising our cup of rich Yuletide Soy Nog and toasting the holiday with friends and family in a ritual that begins the festivities with a joyful clink of glasses.

Gathering at the table for Christmas dinner we share our joy with a lovingly prepared, delectable soup as the starter. In keeping with the colors of Christmas, our Winter Rhapsody Soup creates a dazzling display with its brilliant hues of intense magenta. The featured ingredients, beets and potatoes, happily join hands, their flavors heightened with a splash of lemon and dill.

Our Apple Accent Salad features the deep greens of romaine and arugula sweetly punctuated with chunks of bright red apples. Accents of purple, yellow, and orange from a variety of fresh vegetables are complemented with the addition of crunchy toasted pecans. Highlighting the salad is the Cranberry Salad Dressing quickly made in the blender from fresh cranberries.

The hearty entrée is a delectable medley of rainbow colors with Curried Christmas Timbales, Cranberry Salsa, Steamed Brussels Sprouts, Symphony in Squash, and Buckwheat with Savory Mushroom Sauce. Abundant and satisfying, each dish is sparked with a richness of robust flavors. There's no doubt this is elegant vegan dining.

Perhaps dessert, the best part of the meal according to dessert aficionados, is served by the fireside, ending the festive evening by the warmth of a crackling fire. Sweet, spicy, and crunchy, Sugar Plum Nuts, prepared several days ahead, are the perfect nut nibbles.
But the grand finale, a stunning, aromatic, spicy indulgence is Quince Mince Cobbler, a vegan version of mincemeat enhanced with a down-home cobbler topping.

An exceptional Christmas meal comes to a close, but the warm, memorable images linger. Non-vegetarians dining at this table will be amazed at the copious array of foods, the savory flavors, and the lavish presentation, all from the plant kingdom. One cannot help but catch the spirit of a luxurious vegan celebration. This could become a hallowed tradition.

Christmas toasting is the time for sweet spicy accents and rich creamy textures. Combine them, and you have a sensational beverage for celebrating the holiday. Prepared a day ahead, this festive treat only takes a few minutes to create. With a quick flip of the switch your holiday toast is ready to debut.

Combine the soymilk, silken tofu, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and cloves in a blender. Add the vanilla and rum extracts and blend for a full 1 1/2 minutes on low speed. Chill before serving.

No one expects beet soup to possess a touch of magic. But this kettle boasts of sorcery with its rich, compelling flavors and impressive appearance. While most beet soups are a dull shade of burgundy, this one is almost alive with its brilliant magenta color. Prepare the soup a day ahead, and the flavors will blossom.

For a dazzling presentation, bring the soup to the table in a tureen along with some dill weed for extra garnish, and serve it in white or ivory-colored bowls.

Place the beets in a 4-quart (4 liter) saucepan with the 4 cups (1 liter) water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat down to medium and simmer about 20 to 25 minutes or until the beets are fork tender.

Combine the potatoes, water, and salt in a 3-quart (3 liter) saucepan, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat down to medium, and cook about 6 to 10 minutes, or until they are fork tender.

Put the onions and carrots into a food processor and pulse-chop until they are finely diced. Transfer them to a large skillet or wok and add the 1/2 cup (120 ml) water. Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 to 6 minutes, or until they are just tender, adding small amounts of water, if needed. Set aside.

Have a large stockpot ready. In batches, transfer the cooked beets and all their cooking liquid to the blender and puree until smooth. Return the pureed beets to the stockpot.

Puree the potatoes and their cooking liquid in the blender and add them to the stockpot.

Reserve 3/4 cup (180 ml) of the cooked carrot and onion mixture for garnish. Puree the remaining cooked carrots and onions, adding a small amount of water, if needed, and add it to the stockpot.

Add the lemon juice, dill, salt, and pepper to the stockpot and simmer about 5 to 10 minutes to blend the flavors. Garnish each bowl with a spoonful of the reserved carrot and onion mixture and sprinkle with a smattering of chopped parsley.

*We specify Russet potatoes because they have an ideal toothy texture that gives this soup its special body.

NOTE: If the soup is too thick, thin it to your desired consistency with water and adjust the salt and
lemon juice measurements.

Add a lively perk to the salad course with the sweet, crunchy accent of bite-size chunks of crisp apples. The touch of sweetness adds a pleasant, complex dimension to a festive salad that's in keeping with the spirit of the holiday meal. The fall season invites a colorful array of delicious apple varieties like Gala, Fuji, Pink Lady, and MacIntosh, making it easy to feature the salad with a creative touch.

Apple Accent Salad is one of the delicious recipes from Zel Allen's cookbook The Nut Gourmet: Nourishing Nuts for Every Occasion published by Book Publishing Company in 2006.